BOULDER — University of Colorado senior quarterback Jordan Webb has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is out for the 2013 season.

Webb suffered the injury early in Tuesday’s practice in a non-contact drill, making an ordinary cut when he collapsed on the field. An MRI in the evening revealed the damage, though it was limited to the ACL as other ligaments and cartilage were fine, according to CU trainer Miguel Rueda.

“This is very sad for Jordan,” head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “We all feel for him. He was doing well in practice, competing again for the starting job, and for this to happen and to lose him for the season is just a shame.

“Jordan is a great young man, one who represents our program well, both on the field and off it as a graduate student in a tough major field of study (Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity).”

Webb completed 144-of-265 passes for 1,434 yards last season, with eight touchdown passes and eight interceptions. His best game was in CU’s lone win in 2012, a 35-34 verdict at Washington State, when he threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns along with a game winning 4-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal with 9 seconds remaining.

“It’s another obstacle that I have to overcome,” Webb said. “I’ve rebounded from adversity before so this is just another challenge I have to face.”

He was named CU’s starting quarterback last August 15, just ahead of the first major scrimmage of fall camp; he joined the CU program in July after completing all his degree requirements at the University of Kansas. He took advantage of an NCAA rule which allows a player to continue his career, provided if he has time remaining on his 5-year eligibility clock, and the school he transfers to has a program that is not offered at his previous university. He started 19 games for the Jayhawks.

A fifth-year senior, Webb will work with CU’s compliance office to determine if he can earn a sixth year of eligibility; his freshman year at Kansas (2009) he was redshirted, in part due to the fact that he had torn an abdominal muscle in camp and couldn’t return to practice again until well into the season.

The irony is that Webb suffered the same exact injury that wide receiver Paul Richardson did one year to the day; Richardson tore his ACL on April 9, 2012, and eventually was able to practice on a limited basis toward the end of the season, taking a medical redshirt season he had available to him. It’s much too early to know if Webb has the same kind of improvement during the rehab process if he could be available later in the year should the NCAA deem him not eligible for a sixth year of competition.